IP ACD using buffer server

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for routing a call within an automatic contact distributor. The method includes the steps of transferring control of the call to a buffer server, setting up a call connection between an agent of the automatic call distributor and a client of the automatic call distributor through the buffer server, re-addressing SIP messages received by the buffer server from the agent and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the client and re-addressing SIP messages received from the client and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent.

1. A method of routing a SIP call within an automatic contact distributor system wherein an initial SIP message of the SIP call from a caller is forwarded to the automatic contact distributor system via a first server, such method comprising the steps of:
 selecting an agent of a plurality of agents of the automatic contact distributor system to handle the SIP call forwarded to the automatic contact distributor from the first server; 
 setting up the SIP call connection, between the selected agent of the automatic contact distributor system and a second server separate from the caller and the plurality of agents, so as to route any SIP messages between the agent and the caller through the second server different from the first server including the first server modifying the initial SIP message by changing an address of the first server to an address of the selected agent and changing a domain name of first server to a domain name of the second server, and forwarding the modified message to the selected agent; 
 modifying any source addresses of the SIP messages sent from the agent to the caller and received by the second server from the agent by substituting an address of the second server in SIP messages sent from the agent to the caller and forwarding the modified SIP messages to the caller thereby protecting anonymity of the agent from the caller by concealing URLs and any other identification information of the agent; and 
 re-addressing SIP messages received from the caller at the second server and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 1  further comprising receiving a SIP INVITE from the caller by the automatic contact distributor system requesting a communication session with an agent of the automatic contact distributor system. 
     
     
       3. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 2  further comprising determining a call type from the SIP INVITE. 
     
     
       4. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 3  wherein the second server is a buffer server and the step of setting up the call further comprises forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent and the buffer server substituting a source URL of the buffer server in SIP messages sent from the agent to the caller. 
     
     
       5. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 4  wherein the step of setting up the call further comprises entering the SIP INVITE into a routing table within the buffer server along with the identifier of the selected agent. 
     
     
       6. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 4  wherein the step of forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises appending the identifier to a universal resource identifier of the buffer server within the SIP INVITE. 
     
     
       7. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 4  wherein the step of forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises encoding the SIP INVITE as an instant message. 
     
     
       8. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 4  wherein the step of forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises encoding the SIP INVITE with the identifier of the selected agent for forwarding using a tunneling protocol. 
     
     
       9. The method of routing the SIP call as in  claim 1  further comprising modifying in the first server a SIP INVITE from the caller by inserting a URI of the automatic contact distributor system into the SIP INVITE and the first server forwarding the modified SIP INVITE to the automatic contact distributor system. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus for routing a SIP call within an automatic contact distributor system wherein an initial SIP message of the SIP call from a caller is forwarded to the automatic contact distribution system via first server, such apparatus comprising:
 means for setting up the SIP call between a selected agent of a plurality of agents of the automatic contact distributor system and the caller so as to route any SIP messages between the agent and the caller through a buffer server different from the first server including the first server sending the initial SIP message to the buffer server with an identifier of the selected agent, and the buffer server modifying the initial SIP message and forwarding the modified message to the selected agent; 
 means for modifying any source addresses of the SIP messages sent from the agent to the caller and received by the buffer server from the agent by substituting a source URL of the buffer server in SIP messages sent from the agent to the caller and forwarding the modified SIP messages to the caller thereby protecting anonymity of the agent from the caller by concealing URL's and any other identifying information of the agent; and 
 means for re-addressing SIP messages received from the caller by the buffer server and forwarding the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 10  further comprising means for receiving a SIP INVITE from the caller by the automatic contact distributor system requesting a communication session with an agent of the automatic contact distributor system. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 11  further comprising means for determining a call type from the SIP INVITE. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 12  further comprising means for selecting the agent based upon the determined call type. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 13  wherein the means for setting up the call further comprises means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 14  wherein the means for transferring control of the call further comprises means for entering the SIP INVITE into a routing table within the buffer server along the identifier of the selected agent. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 14  wherein the means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises means for appending the identifier to a universal resource identifier of the buffer server within the SIP INVITE. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 14  wherein the means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises means for encoding the SIP INVITE as an instant message. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 14  wherein the means for forwarding the SIP INVITE to the buffer server further comprises means for encoding the SIP INVITE for forwarding using a tunneling protocol. 
     
     
       19. An apparatus for routing a SIP call within an automatic contact distributor system wherein an initial SIP message of the SIP call from a caller is forwarded to the automatic contact distributor system via a first server, such apparatus comprising:
 a buffer server different from the first server adapted to set up the SIP call between a selected agent of the automatic contact distributor system and the caller so as to route any SIP messages between the agent and the caller through the buffer server; 
 a connection processor adapted to modify any source addresses of the SIP messages sent from the caller and received by the buffer server from the agent by substituting at the buffer server an address of the buffer server in SIP messages sent from the agent to the caller and the buffer server forming a URL pair for forwarding the modified SIP messages to the caller in response to a SIP instant message sent from the first server to the buffer server to cause the buffer server to create a communication path between the buffer server and the caller and protecting anonymity of the agent from the caller by concealing URL's and any other identification information of the agent, and to re-address SIP messages received from the caller at the buffer server and forward the re-addressed SIP messages to the agent. 
 
     
     
       20. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 19  further comprising a user agent within the automatic contact distributor system adapted to receive a SIP INVITE from the caller requesting a communication session with an agent of the automatic contact distributor system. 
     
     
       21. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 20  further comprising a call type processor adapted to determine a call type from the SIP INVITE. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 21  further comprising an agent selection application adapted to select the agent based upon the determined call type. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 21  further comprising a proxy server having an Internet connection that allows the proxy server to forward the SIP INVITE to the buffer server along with an identifier of the selected agent. 
     
     
       24. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 23  wherein the SIP INVITE forwarded to the buffer server further comprises the identifier of the selected agent appended to a universal resource identifier of the buffer server. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 21  wherein the SIP INVITE forwarded to the buffer server further comprises an instant message. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 21  wherein the SIP INVITE forwarded to the buffer server further comprises a message encoded using a tunneling protocol. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus for routing the SIP call as in  claim 20  wherein the buffer server further comprises a routing table for re-addressing the SIP messages that are transferred between the agent and the caller.